X-ray, lower back
Facility: Ellsworth County Medical Center
Billing Code: 72110 (CPT)
- CPT Billing Code: 72110
- Insurance Median: $282
- Cash Discount Price: $313
- vs. Medicare Baseline: 2.64x Medicare
Average discount available for prompt cash payment at this facility.
Median negotiated contract rate across all mapped commercial carriers.
Standard federal government reimbursement rate for this code.
Visual Cost Comparison vs. Medicare
Understanding this gauge: We use the federal Medicare rate of $106.81 as the cost baseline. Rates below the baseline represent excellent value. In-network commercial rates commonly hover around 150% - 250% of Medicare, while rates exceeding 300% are elevated. Hover over the green and blue markers to view detailed calculations.
Elevated Commercial Rate Alert (Value-Gap)
The negotiated rate at this facility is 264% of the Medicare baseline (a markup of 164%). Patients with high-deductible plans or out-of-network benefits may face excessive out-of-pocket costs.
Out-of-Pocket Cost Estimator
Estimate whether it is more economical to use your insurance or pay the upfront self-pay cash rate.
Commercial Insurance Negotiated Rates
Negotiated contract ranges established by major commercial carriers at this facility.
| Carrier / Plan Group | Contract Rate Range | vs. Medicare Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Triwest -All Plans | $147 | 138% |
| Humana | $147 - $297 | 138% |
| Healthy Blue Mcr Adv | $147 | 138% |
| Va Ccn-All Plans | $147 | 138% |
| UnitedHealthcare | $203 - $313 | 190% |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield | $233 - $246 | 218% |
| First Health - All Plans | $282 | 264% |
| Aetna | $282 | 264% |
| Cigna | $297 | 278% |
| Coventry Mcaid-All Plans | $313 | 293% |
| Medicaid / KanCare | $313 | 293% |
| Healthy Blue Mcaid- All Other Plans | $313 | 293% |
| Providers Care-Wppa-All Plans | $470 | 440% |
Consumer Guidance & Cost Commentary
For the X-ray of the lower back at Ellsworth County Medical Center, the cash price is $313.00, which matches the facility's gross charge and the Medicare benchmark of $106.81. While the cash rate is higher than the Medicare amount, it is significantly lower than the negotiated rates paid by most insurance plans, such as UnitedHealthcare ($203–$313) and Blue Cross Blue Shield ($233–$246). In cases where a patient has a high deductible or limited insurance coverage, paying the cash price directly can be more cost-effective than relying on an insurance plan that may negotiate a higher allowed amount. Patients should verify their specific plan's deductible status and ask the hospital about "self-pay" or "prompt-pay" discounts before scheduling to ensure they are not paying the full negotiated rate.
This facility, a Critical Access Hospital in Ellsworth, KS, has a facility rating of 2 and operates under Proprietary ownership. The data reflects a vintage of 2026-06, with 13 different payers ranging from Medicaid/KanCare ($313) to Providers Care-Wppa-All Plans ($470). Because the cash price aligns with the gross charge, patients must be cautious of balance billing if they have out-of-network coverage, as the provider could theoretically bill the difference between the cash price and the insurance allowed amount. To avoid unexpected costs, consumers should request an itemized bill to review specific CPT codes and ensure no unbundled charges or services not rendered are included, rather than accepting a summary invoice as the final amount owed.